Australian schools are being invited to apply for the second edition of the Varkey Foundation's $1m Global Schools Prize, with applications opening this week for institutions "reimagining education for the future," according to the foundation.
The prize, organised by the Varkey Foundation, is described by the organisation as the largest of its kind. It joins the Global Teacher Prize and Global Student Prize, both also founded by education philanthropist Sunny Varkey.
Inaugural winner set the bar
The prize's first winner was announced in May. Lebanon's Alsama Project, a refugee-led organisation educating displaced Syrian and Palestinian teenagers, was named the inaugural winner at the Education World Forum in London, selected from nearly 3,000 applications and nominations spanning 113 countries, according to Gulf News, which reported the win was announced by filmmaker and campaigner Richard Curtis. Alsama received $500,000 to expand its work, according to Khaleej Times.
Founded in 2020 to serve 40 teenagers in Beirut's Shatila refugee camp, Alsama has since grown to serve more than 1,100 students, the organisation says, with a large share of its staff drawn from refugee or local communities. Alsama operates four education centers in Beirut's Shatila and Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camps and in Homs, Syria, according to Al-Fanar Media.
Varkey, founder of the Global Schools Prize, the Varkey Foundation and GEMS Education, said the prize is more than an award.
It's a movement to reimagine learning in a world of constant change," Varkey said. "By recognising multiple winners, we shine a light on the many ways schools are driving progress."
Ten categories, $50,000 each
The prize spans 10 categories, including AI Transformation, Sustainability, STEM Education, and SEND/Inclusive Education. Longlisted schools receive a Global Schools Prize Badge and access to a Global Schools Network offering partnerships and professional development opportunities.
Ten category winners will each receive $50,000. One of those schools will then be named the overall winner and awarded an additional $500,000 to expand its work.
A Global Schools Prize Council will guide the initiative, co-chaired by Stefania Giannini, former assistant director general for education at UNESCO, and Dame Christine Ryan, former chair of the Ofsted Board. The council also includes Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the OECD, along with former presidents and former education ministers, according to QA Education. The prize is delivered in collaboration with UNESCO.
The prize is open to government-run and privately funded schools worldwide that are "going above and beyond to deliver quality education," per the release.
The application window follows a broader expansion of the foundation's award programs. The Varkey Foundation has also opened applications for the 2027 Global Teacher Prize, an award established in 2014 that has drawn nominations from more than a hundred countries. This year's Teacher Prize edition marks an expansion of eligibility, for the first time including digital educators, leaders of education programs, and teachers working in refugee and other non-formal education settings.